When Ahmad Bradshaw went to North Carolina to visit a noted orthopedist about his nagging foot injury, he wasn’t sure if he’d return as an active member of the Giants’ roster or a player on his way to injured reserve.

But Bradshaw got the blessing of Dr. Robert Anderson, a renowned ankle and foot specialist, so there he was Thursday, wearing his familiar walking boot while pedaling on the exercise bike on the sideline during practice.

“I had to go get a second opinion to see if I should be playing now,” Bradshaw told reporters afterward. “I’m very relieved to hear I’ll be on the field.”

For now.

Bradshaw revealed the issue with his right foot is a cracked fifth metatarsal, which is the bone on the outside of the foot. It’s an injury that will likely require off-season surgery to insert a screw as an aid in the healing process. But it’s also an injury that could worsen by breaking fully, which would then immediately land the third-year running back on the operating table.

“Of course. I know that. It all depends on the bone and how it is in my foot,” Bradshaw said. “I just plan on going out there and giving my all. If it breaks, it does and I’ll get surgery. If not, I’ll wait until the end of the season. Hopefully, then I won’t need it, but more than likely, I’ll plan on having surgery.”

As long as the injury doesn’t worsen, Bradshaw won’t be affected much. He said he felt some “pressure” in his foot during Sunday’s loss to the Cardinals but hasn’t been forced to change his running style, which has helped him rush for 455 yards in seven games, putting him on pace for to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his career.

Actually, Bradshaw believes his plodding, “bow-legged” style is what caused the injury in the first place. He said he experienced some soreness recently and thought it was merely a bruise on his foot until X-rays about a month ago revealed the crack.

Since then, Bradshaw has been wearing a walking boot around the clock for much of the week while sitting out most practices before suiting up on Sundays. Anderson concurred with that approach and gave his blessing for it to continue.

“Rest and immobilization, treatment, rehab, limited amount of work each week,” said coach Tom Coughlin. When asked if Bradshaw’s visit with Anderson was spurred by his feeling any worse, Coughlin replied, “No, I think it is just a normal procedure at this point in time for something like this. They obviously wanted to have everything recorded so that at the end of the season if there is something that needs to be done.”

Bradshaw’s medical records also include an ankle injury as well, though that one sounds like it’s less of an issue than the foot.

“The ankle is here and there,” Bradshaw said. “It’s an old fracture that was never taken care of. That’s just how it grew over. A couple of bone spurs and loose bones in there and it just heals like that. Other than that, it doesn’t slow me down at all.”

Nothing was slowing Bradshaw down until this week. In fact, he ran for 104 yards against the Buccaneers in a game he had to leave after tweaking one of his right-foot injuries. He was in the boot the rest of that week and didn’t practice until Friday. Over the next three games, Bradshaw ran for 222 yards and three touchdowns on only 33 carries.

But against the Cardinals, he was held to only 2.7 yards per attempt – his lowest average in a game he’s gotten more than five carries. Plus, he fumbled late in the fourth quarter a second after Cardinals safety Antrel Rolle grabbed his right ankle.

Bradshaw said the injury had nothing to do with the fumble, nor did he believe Rolle was targeting his ankle. After Sunday’s game, Coughlin had pretty much absolved Bradshaw of any blame for the fumble, saying it was due to the extra effort he admires.

But Thursday, Coughlin wasn’t nearly as forgiving.

“(Holding the ball) high and tight would have taken care of that,” Coughlin said.